Auxiliary lamp



"Jan. 18, 1927.

J. J.- GUGH AUXILIARY mun Filed `July 22, 1925 Patented Jan. 18, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES J. GOUGH, F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO CHICAGO ELECTRIC MANU- FACTURING CO., 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 0F ILLINOIS.

AUXILIARY LAMP.

Application led July 22, 1925.

My invention relates to auxiliary lamps designed to be mounted adjacent to given lamps, and'to means for conjointly supporting both lamps.

In automobile practice, the use of separate supporting brackets for the tail light and the stop light at the rear of the vehicle is held by many to be undesirable bothv because it clutters the rear of the vehicle with a. considerable number of widely spaced lamps and because of the additional cost 'of the separate brackets or other mountings for the two lamps. To suitthis class of users, stop signal lamps have heretofore been constructed in a form designed for attachment to the casing of a standard tail lamp by means of clamps, straps or the like, so as to afford a unitary and compact combination of the two lamps. In one important aspect,

my present invention aims to provide an auxiliary lamp constructed so that it can readily be secured to a' standard type of lamp bracket adjacent to a common form of tail lamp, and so that the same fastening means which secure the body of the tail lamp to `the bracket will also serve to hold the auxiliary lamp in its intended position. In another aspect, my invention aims to provide a novel construction of lamp casing in which the back of the casing is provided with anchoring means whereby the lamp can readily be secured to the vsupporting bracket of a standard type of tail lamp without requiring the auxiliary fastening members, and in which the sai-d back of the casing also carries means for holding the lens front of the lamp in operative position without requiring other fastening elements for this purpose.

More particularly, my invention relates to an auxiliary lamp construction particularly suited for use in connection with a main lamp in which the casing has a supporting back provided with a ledge overlianging a peripheral flange on the rear end of the casing, and in which this flange is secured to the said back of an interposed latching mem- Serial No. 45,207.

ber, such as a snap ring. For use with such lamp constructions, my invention provides an auxiliary lamp adapted to seat on the I0 main lamp and having an integral casing portion adapted to be interposed between the said ledge and the casing of the main lamp. It also provides simple means for clamping the auxiliary lamp against this 5l ledge and desirably arranges the clamping in eans so as to prevent a tilting ofthe auxiliary lamp. Still further and also more detailed Iobjects will appear from the following specification and from the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is a perspective View showing an auxiliary lamp embodying my invention as it appears when attached to the supporting back of a standard type of tail lamp concurrently with the body of the lamp.

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the auxiliary lamp of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section taken centrally through the auxiliary or stop sig- 'l0 nal lamp of Fig. l and the upper portion of tli'e main lamp associated with the latter.

Fig. l is a fragmentary similar section taken along the line 4-1 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the rear u member of the auxiliary lamp.

In one of its immediate commercial applications, various features of my invention are particularly adapted for use on stop signal lamps in connection with a cheap type of 30 tail lamp in which the body of the casin is manually detachable from a casing baclgr which extends radially beyond the casing so as to aord an integral supporting bracket. The drawings show such a lamp g5 as having a casing comprising a substan- 'iially cylindrical body l provided at its forward end with an inwardly directed recurved flange 2, which flange forms a Stop for a substantially cup shaped glass lining 3, 9o the length of the body being such as to permit a colored translucent disk 4 to be interposed between the annular flange 2 and the circular front of the glass cup 3. The cylin-y CJI drical side wall of the glass cup desirably lits slidably into the cylindrical body portion 1 and has its rear end spaced from the back 6 of the lamp by a disk 'l' of light-reflecting material.

The rear end of the cylindrical body portion 1 is flared outwardly to afford a flange 8, while the back 6 is extended radially of the lamp body and provided adjacent to the ripper' portion yof the lamp with a forwardly tapering flange 9 which overhangs the upperV portion of the said ange 6 shown in F ig. 3. The backl 6 of the lamp desirably is formed integral with a bracket 10 adapted to support the entire lamp, this back having` slots 11 adapted to receive bolts for securing the bracket to the vehicle yon which the pair of lamps are to be used. The back 6 also has-formed from it a pair of lingers 12 which overhang lower port-ions of the operatively directed flange S on the body 1 and which prevent the body from slicing downwardly vwith respect to the back 6. Tvllhen slid into the illustrated position with relation to the said bracket and back member, the casing 1 is retained there by a split ring 28 snapped in front of the flange 8 but behind both the ledge 9 and the lingers 12.

As a companion to the tail lamp above described, I provide an auxiliary lamp including a tubular casing 13 having its forward end reeurved inwardly to afford an annular flange 14: against which the lens 15 of the lamp abuts, this lens haring the desired legend (such yas the word Stop) formed on it and the'lens having a contour corresponding to the bore of the tubular casing 13. Socketed in the casing 13 is a back member, comprising a back 16 of a shape corresponding to the bore of the casing and a plurality of forwardly projecting portions. These portions include a flange 1'? formed so as to lit the upper portion of the bore of the -casing 13, and a pair of forwardly directed fingers 18 disposed substantially at opposite sides of the back 16 and extending forwardly into engagement with the rear face of the lens so as to hold the latter against the annular flange 1/1-, thereby clamping the lens in position when the said back member is secured to the lamp casing by screws 19 extending through the casing 13 and respectively threaded into the arms 18. These lingers are spaced circumferentially of the back of the casing and preferably have their forward end portions bent slightly inward of the casing as shown in Fig. 5) so as to engage the lens at a distance from the bore of the casing. .By forming them in this manner, I insure an adequate engagement of the tips of the lingers with the lens even if the latter should be somewhatsmaller in diameter than the bore of the casing, as often happens owing to the non-uniform shrinkage of lenses made from the same mould,

without requiring an auxiliary washer .or ring to be interposed between the linger tips and the lens.

rI'he back plate 16 desirably has a lamp socket`20 extending` through it for supporting the lamp bulb 21 within the casing 13, and the casing desir-ably has its bottom curved to lit the Lipper portion of the casing 1 of the main lamp so that the auxiliary lamp can seat firmly on the said main lamp.

"Io secure the auxiliary lamp to the main lamp, I provide itat its back with a pair of rearwardly and upwardly Vdirected fingers 21 which desirably are formed integral with the back plate 16, these ngers being sulhciently short to clear the snap ring 23, so that they can be inserted under the flange 9 of the member which forms the back for the main lamp and the upper portion of the supporting bracket. f

rlhen I provide means operatively interposed between the auxiliary lampand the back 6 of the supporting member for drawing the auxiliary lamp rearwardly and clamping` it against the said supporting member. Il or this purpose, I desirably einploy a clamp bracket2l secured to the back 16 of the auxiliary lamp and formed so that its lower portion extends downwardly behind the back 6, and provide a screw 25 threaded through the said lower portion and engaging the back 6 so that a tightening of. the screw will draw the auxiliary lamp rearwardly against the forward end ofthe ledge 9. To simplify the assembly, I desirably perforate the upper end of the clamping bracket 24 so that the socket 2O can extend through it, and then provide the shell of the socket with peripheral beads 26 and 25A between which the back 16 and the bracket- 241 are both clamped.

lilith my auxiliary lamp thus constructed, it will be obvious that it can be slid rearwardly upon the main lainp until the fingers 21 hook under the ledge 9, after which a tightening of the screw 25 will readily lock the auxiliary lamp against forward or rearward movement, while the fingers 21 will prevent a lifting of the auxiliary lamp and the seating of that lamp on the main lamp will prevent the former from moving downwardly. I-Ience a single fastening element in the form of a screw readily suffices for affording the needed lirm attachment while also permitting the auxiliary lamp to be detached if desired. To prevent the tightening of the screw from tending to tilt the auxiliary lamp with respect to the main lamp I desirably position this screw so that its axis extends substantially in the surface of a casing portion of the auxiliary lamp. By employing integral and spaced fingers 18 on the back 16 of the casing for clamping the lens against the recurved flange 14, I effect this clamping while using a back CII member which .can be formed -at low cost from a cheap gradeof metal, since no drawing operation is required for making it. lVith a casing of arcuate 'cross-section, two such fingers at yopposite vends of the back are ample if `supplemented by a fiange engaging the upper part of the bore and conforming in shape to the back, and this flange 17 may be Vrelatively short with respect to the casing and the fingers.

However, while I have illustrated and described various features of my invention as employed in connection with a signal lamp designed for use with a type of tail lamp which has a supporting bracket integral with its back, I do not wish to be limited to the details of the construct-ion and arrangement thus disclosed, it being obvious that many changes might be made without departing either from the spirit of my invention or from the appended claims.

I claim as my invention l. In a lamp, a tubular casing member a contraction at its forward end, a lens within the said member bearing forwardly against the said contraction, and a back member constructed separately from the casing member and having integral and spaced arms extending forwardly within the said casing member into engagement with the back of the lens to hold the latter against the said contraction, each of the arms having its forward portion bent inwardly of the casing member so as to space the lens-engaging tip of the arm inwardly of the casing from the bore of the said tubular member.

2. In a lamp, a tubular casing member of elongated transverse section having a contraction at its forward end, a lens within the said member bearing forwardly against the said contraction, and a casing back secured to the said casing member and constructed separately from the casing member, the said back having two integral arms extending forwardly within the casing member adjacent to one of the wider walls of the casing member and presenting tips engaging the lens to hold the lens against the said contraction, the casing back also having a forwardly directed flange bearing against the inner face of the opposite side wall of the casing member for cooperating with the fingers in holding the casing back against shifting transversely of the said member.

3. The combination with a main lamp having a. peripheral flange at the rear end of' its body and having its back provided with a hook formation overhanging the said flange, of an auxiliary lamp having its body adjacent to that of the aforesaid lamp and having its back provided with a projection disposed between the said flange and the said hook formation, and means interposed between the auxiliary lamp and the back of the main lamp for clamping the 'auxiliary lamp Vagainstthe 'said back.

4; The combination with a main lamp 'ha-ving a -peripheral fiange at the rear 'end of its body and having its' back provided with a hook formation overhanging 'the said flange, 'of an auxiliary lamp hav-in its body adjacent to that of the aforesaid amp and having its back provided with a projection disposed between the said flange and the said hook formation, a bracket fast on the auxiliary lamp and extending behind the back of the main lamp, and means operating through the bracket for drawing the auxiliary lamp rearwardly against the hook formation to clamp the auxiliary lamp to the said back.

5. The combination with an axially horizontal lamp body and a supporting member extending behind and upwardly beyond the said body and having a forwardly directed flange overhanging the said body, of a 1am seated upon the aforesaid lamp body an having a rearwardly directed finger underhanging the said flange, and releasable means interposed between the lamp and the supporting member for drawing the lamp rearwardly, the said means cooperating with the underhanging of the fiange by the finger for rigidly securing the auxiliary lamp to the supporting member.

6. The combination with an axially horizontal lam body and a supporting member extending liehind and upwardly beyond the body, of an auxiliary lamp adjacent to the said body, a. bracket fast on the auxiliary lamp and extending behind the supporting member, and a screw threadedthrough the bracket and engaging the rear of the supporting member to draw the auxiliary lamp rearwardly and clamp the latter to the supporting member, therauxiliary lamp and the supporting member having interengaging portions for preventing a movement of the auxiliary lamp radially away from the said lamp body.

7 The combination with a tubular lamp body having its axis horizontal and a supporting bracket extending behind and upwardly beyond the lamp ody and forming a back for the latter, of an auxiliary lamp above and adjacent to the said body and having its lower portion seated upon and conforming in sha e to the upper portion of the said lamp bo y, means associated with the auxiliary lamp and the said bracket for preventing an upward movement of the auxiliary lamp with respect to the lamp body; a second bracket extending behind both the auxiliary lamp and the said lamp body, and a screw threaded through the second bracket and engaging the rear of the supporting bracket to draw the auxiliary lamp rearwardly so as to clamp the auxiliary lamp to the supporting bracket.

8. The combination with a main lamp having a substantially cylindrical body and having fast thereon a forwardly directed Vflange overhanging the rear end of the body, the said flange being spaced from and curved concentric with the body; of an auxiliary lamp having the bottomof its body curved I concentric with and seated upon the top of .the aforesaid body, the body of the auxiliary lamp having fast thereon a rearwardly directed finger extending into the space between the aforesaid body and the flange; and

.releasable means operatively interposed be- JAMES J. GOUGH. 

